Deploying an AI-built app means putting it on the internet at a real URL so anyone can use it. In 2026, the easiest path is a builder that hosts for you: you click publish and it goes live. If your tool only generates code, you deploy it yourself to a host like Vercel, Netlify, or Fly. Here is both paths, step by step.
What does deploy actually mean?
Deploying takes the app from your builder's preview and runs it on a public server with a live web address. Three things happen: the app is built into an optimized version, it is uploaded to a server, and a URL is pointed at it. Good platforms do all three in one click.
The easy path: builders that host for you
If your AI builder includes hosting, deployment is one button:
- Build and refine your app until it works in preview.
- Click Publish.
- Get a live URL (often a free subdomain to start).
- Share it, or connect a custom domain.
This is the whole reason integrated builders exist: getting online is the step non-developers get stuck on. Modulify publishes to a live URL and manages the server, scaling, and updates for you.
The manual path: deploying exported code
If your tool only gives you code, you host it yourself:
- Export or download the project.
- Push it to a host like Vercel, Netlify, or Fly.
- Set environment variables (API keys, database URLs) in the host's dashboard, never in the code.
- Connect your database if it is separate.
- Deploy and test the live version.
This gives you full control at the cost of more moving parts. If you want to understand that trade-off, read Do You Own the Code an AI Builder Writes?.
How do I add a custom domain?
- Buy a domain from a registrar such as Namecheap or Cloudflare.
- In your host or builder, open domain settings.
- Add the DNS records it gives you, or connect automatically if supported.
- Wait for it to verify, usually minutes to a few hours.
A custom domain looks professional and helps SEO.
What about environment variables and secrets?
Never hardcode API keys or passwords in your app. Store them as secrets in your host's or builder's settings and reference them from there. This keeps them out of your code and out of version control. It is one of the most common security mistakes in AI-built apps, more in the security checklist.
How do I handle updates after launch?
Every time you change the app, you redeploy. Integrated builders redeploy on publish. Manual hosts often redeploy automatically when you push new code. Either way, test on a preview before pushing to real users.
The Modulify take
Hosting is where a lot of "I built an app with AI" stories quietly stall. The fastest route from working to live is a platform that builds and hosts together. Modulify handles deploy, hosting, custom domains, and updates in one place. For the exact steps and settings covered here, publishing, custom domains, secrets, the documentation walks through each one in more detail, and is worth bookmarking before your first deploy question comes up. Publish your first app.
